Shelter
by TurboNerdQueen
Summary: 'She misses home. She is heartbroken. She is afraid. And there is nothing I can do to help her. '


She misses home.

White as far as the eye can see, a frozen land of isolation and silence, mystery and wonder. The men and women dressed in strange robes who followed our every move, kept us both under lock and key from the world. A smiling face full of wrinkles who would bring extra seal jerky when no one looked. She was nice. I miss her, too.

This new home is loud and always moving, alive with large machines and tall buildings whose lights never go out. Sometimes on nights like this, She likes to sit with the window open and look out across the bay. The lights are peaceful from this far away, and remind us of the festivals back home. If I'm quiet, She sings to me and scratches my head. I like it when She does that. She takes good care of me.

The hairless cubs are very loud, and love to play all the time. When She is too busy or gone, I take charge in her place, keeping the small male out of trouble and the youngest female entertained with my games of hide and seek. The little cub will make an excellent hunter when I am done. It is the oldest cub, who sits quietly and watches over the world with observant eyes and gives me treats, that is my favorite. She will be a strong leader.

She is heartbroken.

It is her soft cries that rouse me from my slumber outside her window. She never cries. Who made her cry? I whine in the dark, my tail wagging when I see her appear at the window and give me a shaky smile. She pats my head and sniffs, reminding me of when she had become ill at a young age. Could that be it? She is ill? I look up at her with another whine, pushing my head forward and licking her cheek. No, not sick… just sad. Maybe she misses home more than I do. This place is bad, I can sense it. There is a stale bitterness to the air that has only grown since we came to this island, and I feel threatened. For Her, the cubs, the older master who can sense this threat as well. Still She insists on staying, working hard to become stronger. I like that about Her.

She wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me tight, crying in my fur about a stupid boy. I growl in response, catching a foreign scent on Her tonight. Smoky, musky, spicy. Male firebender. Target acquired.

She is afraid.

It is the fifth night she wakes from a fitful sleep, covered in sweat and near tears. Since we arrived to the city it seems She is more open to crying in such instances, although I have redeemed Her for this. He approached Her and the cubs one evening, tall and lanky, a weak prey if anything. I charged him and knocked him to the ground with a warning bark, smiling at his fearful expression. She was not too accepting though and scolded me for my behavior, making me stay on the island that night. At least old master thought I did the right thing when he brought me an extra helping of fish for dinner, patting my head and calling me a 'Good Girl'.

Tonight…. tonight I can tell is different. I smell the pungent stench of fear in the cool night air, hear her choked gasps of breath as She tried to calm down. Maybe it was Shadow Man again. My ears droop forward at the thought, a dark figure tall and vicious, white mask and sharp claws attacking Her in a place I can not protect her. I lift myself off the floor and move closer to her bedside, grabbing her blanket with my teeth and pulling it from her.

"Naga, what are you doing?" She asked, her voice still shaking. I walk back to my spot and drop down with a grunt, looking at her expectantly as I held her blanket. She understood, a smile spreading across her face as she moved down between my paws, draping her upper half on my arm. I drop the blanket, watching it slowly fall to fit her form. She is asleep before it settles, breathing even and a look of peace on her face. This is the only way I know to protect her from Shadow Man in her dreams, and still it is not enough. I whine softly, resting my head on her body for warmth as the night continued on.

She misses home.

She is heartbroken.

She is afraid.

And there is nothing I can do to help her.


End file.
